Adrian Wojnarowski Retires from ESPN to Become General Manager of St Bonaventure Basketball

Adrian Wojnarowski has announced that he is stepping down as an NBA reporter for ESPN and will join St. Bonaventure as general manager of the men’s basketball program.

Wojnarowski left Yahoo to join ESPN in 2017 and was one of the two leading news breakers in the NBA media. Wojnarowski signed a contract extension with ESPN in 2022 and is reportedly walking away from about $20 million in guaranteed money on top of any future earnings had he remained in the role.

“I grew up the son of a factory worker, two miles from ESPN’s campus, and dreamed only of making a living as a sportswriter,” Wojnarowski wrote in his statement. “Thirty-seven years ago, the Hartford Courant gave me my first byline, and I’ve never stopped chasing the thrill of it.

“This profession has changed my life, but I have decided to retire from ESPN and the news industry. I understand the dedication my role requires and it is an investment I am no longer willing to make. Time is not infinite and I want to spend my time in ways that are more personally meaningful.

“I leave with overwhelming gratitude for countless mentors and colleagues, subjects and stories, readers and viewers. No one has benefited more than I have from the faith, trust, and generosity of others.

“The past seven years at ESPN have been an extraordinary privilege. I am grateful to the company’s leadership — especially Jimmy Pitaro and Cristina Daglas — for understanding and accepting my decision to make a life change. After all these years of covering everyone’s teams, I’m returning to my own team.”

Wojnarowski worked under Pitaro at Yahoo before returning to ESPN.

“I have known and admired Woj since we first worked together at Yahoo! in 2007,” Pitaro said in a statement. “His work ethic is unmatched. He is extraordinarily talented and fearless. He has led the industry at ESPN and his dedication to the business and to fans is legendary. While we will miss his daily output, we completely understand his decision to change his lifestyle and slow down. We know he will continue to thrive in this next chapter and he has our collective gratitude and support.”